Administrative services
Advice and guidance on project management tools or configuration management
Specialist functions like planning or risk management.
Administering configuration management procedures the Configuration Management
Strategy (unless this is performed by program management).
Project Assurance
It is a PRINCE2 role responsible for monitoring every aspect of the project performance and
product performance independently from the Project Manager. Responsibility of Project
Assurance belongs to the members of the Project Board, who each take responsibility for the
distinct aspects of Project Assurance that falls within their respective area of interest
(Users, Suppliers or Business). Members of the Project Board may delegate the tasks belonging
to this role to individuals outside the Project Board. If they have sufficient time available, and the
appropriate level of skills and knowledge, they may conduct their own project assurance tasks;
otherwise they may appoint separate individuals to perform these.
Individuals involved in Project Assurance support the Project Manager rather than their activities
being independent of the Project Manager's activities. The individuals involved in Project
Assurance report to the appropriate Project Board member. The project board may also make use
of other members of the corporate, program management or customer organization to take on
specific project assurance roles, such as appointing the corporate quality manager to monitor the
quality aspects of the project. Project board members are accountable for the project assurance
actions aligned with their area of interest, even if they assign these to separate individuals.
Project assurance is not just an independent check, however. Personnel involved in project
assurance are also responsible for supporting the project manager, by giving advice and guidance
on issues such as the use of corporate standards or the correct personnel to be involved in
different aspects of the project (e.g. quality inspections or reviews).
When project assurance tasks are shared between project board members and other individuals, it
is important to clarify each person’s responsibilities. Anyone appointed to a project assurance
role reports to the project board member overseeing the relevant area of interest, and must be
independent of the project manager. The project board should not assign any project assurance
roles to the project manager or project support. As part of its function to monitor all aspects of
the project’s performance and products independently of the project manager, project assurance
should be involved in all the PRINCE2 processes.
Verify and monitor the business case against external events and project progress.
Ensure the project fits with the overall corporate, program management or customer
strategies.
Monitor project finance on behalf of corporate, program management or the customer.
Ensure the value-for-money solution is constantly reassessed.
Monitor changes to the project plan to identify any impact on the needs of the business or the
business case.
Review the impact assessment of potential changes on the business case and project plan.
Verify and monitor the benefits management approach for alignment with corporate, program
management or the customer.
Checking the performance and products independent of the Project Manager
Ensuring that organizational standards and policies are followed in the project
Centre of excellence
The concept of a centre of excellence is that of a central standards unit, which defines standards
(such as processes, templates and tools), and provides skills, training and possibly independent
assurance functions to a number of projects. It is a corporate coordinating function for portfolios,
programs and projects providing standards, consistency of methods and processes, knowledge
management, assurance and training. A Centre of Excellence is a corporate standards unit that
supplies skills, tools and training to projects. For example, a Centre of Excellence may provide:
Resource shortages, either in numbers or skills, make it difficult to supply people to perform
project administration for each current project.
There are a number of small projects of a diverse nature that individually require only limited
support from Project Support.
There is a large program, requiring coordination of individual projects.
A large project requires several resources to handle Project Support roles.
Differences in a nutshell:
Project support is typically responsible for Individuals involved in Project Assurance A Centre of Excellence may provide:
administering change control unless a support the Project Manager rather than their
corporate, program management or customer activities being independent of the Project Centralized configuration management
function is performing it. Manager's activities. The individuals involved system
The role of project support is not optional, but in Project Assurance report to the appropriate A central filing system
the allocation of a separate individual or group Project Board member. Project Support skills
to carry out the required tasks is. Overview of all current projects and their
Project board members are accountable for the status
Project Support responsibilities that may be project assurance actions aligned with their area
delegated include: of interest, even if they assign these to separate A centre of excellence can be useful where:
individuals.
Administrative services
Advice and guidance on project As part of its function to monitor all aspects of Resource shortages, either in numbers or
management tools or configuration the project’s performance and products skills, make it difficult to supply people to
management independently of the project manager, project
Specialist functions like planning or risk perform project administration for each
assurance should be involved in all the
management. PRINCE2 processes. current project.
Administering configuration management There are a number of small projects of a
procedures the Configuration Management
diverse nature that individually require only
Strategy (unless this is performed by
program management). limited support from Project Support.
Purpose of PRINCE2 Project Assurance: There is a large program, requiring
coordination of individual projects.
To verify and monitor the business case A large project requires several resources to
against external events and project progress.
handle Project Support roles.
To ensure the project fits with the overall
corporate, program management or
customer strategies.
To monitor project finance on behalf of
corporate, program management or the
customer.
To ensure the value-for-money solution is
constantly reassessed.
To monitor changes to the project plan to
identify any impact on the needs of the
business or the business case.
To review the impact assessment of
potential changes on the business case and
project plan.
To verify and monitor the benefits
management approach for alignment with
corporate, program management or the
customer.
To check the performance and products
independent of the Project Manager
To ensure that organizational standards and
policies are followed in the project